Cattle-lander.



No. 880,146. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908. E. B. LAMB.

CATTLE LANDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. E. LAMB.

CATTLE LANDBR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1906.

PATENTED FEB. 25', 1908.

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k x? w No. 880,146. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

E. E. LAMB.

CATTLE LANDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1906,

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E. E.- LAMB. OATTLB LANDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1906.

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ELBERT E. LAMB, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

CATTLE-LANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed August 24. 1906. Serial No. 331.889-

1 To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBERT E. LAMB, a citizen of the United States,residing at East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCattle-Landers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention concerns cattle landers or devices for raising animalsbodies from the floor and landing them upon overhead tracks in orderthat they may be conveyed away thereon.

My improved device is especially adapted for use in handling the bodiesof bullocks or steers and landing them upon a pair of tracks upon whichthe two partially severed halves of the body are transported. While thepartly dressed steer lies upon the floor carriers provided with wheelsare fastened to the gambs of the animal by means of sharp hooks mountedon the carriers. A spreader having a hook or support at each enddetachably connected to the carriers is also employed and the carcass israised between the tracks by any suitable hoisting means, such as a drumand chain, until the two carriers are above the tracks, when theirwheels or rollers are brought over the tracks by turning or swingingaround the body by hand. Then by allowing the chain and spreader todescend, the wheels of the car riers engage the two tracks, the hooks orsupports on the spreader automatically release them, and the bodytravels off, the rollers moving down the tracks which are inclinedenough for the purpose intended.

In order that the spreader may be readily and quickly lowered for arepetition of the hoisting operation I provide an automaticallyactuatedkick-off which turns the spreader around sufficiently so that it willescape the tracks, when it may be lowered as desired. One of the tracksis equipped with means for aiding in bringing the trolleys or carriersin proper position over the tracks, when the spreader and body are swungaround, whereby the body can be raised and transferred to the trackswith despatch.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodimentof my invention, like reference characters referring to the same partsthroughout the various views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tracks, and

illustrates the animal in position to be hoisted so that the carriers ortrolleys and spreader will not strike the tracks; Fig. 2 is a sectionthrough the tracks on line 22 of Fig. 1, as viewed in the directionindicated by the arrows, showing the spreader, carriers, and animal inthe position taken after the carriers engage the tracks; Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the tracks illustrating the construc tion andoperation of the automatic kick-off which comprises a Weighted lever;and Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the tracks, kick-off and hoistingmeans. Fig. 5 is a partial or fragmentary plan view of the hoisting drumand the controlling mechanism for operating it.

The animals body is deliveredto my im proved cattle lander insubstantially the condition illustrated in Fig. 4, the animal havingfirst been knocked in the head to render it senseless or unconscious,then raised upon a conveying track and suspended head downwards by achain around its hind legs, the animal being stabbed or pierced with aknife in this condition so that the blood pours out from its neck, and,after having its head removed, the body is lowered to the floor of theslaughtering room. The body is then propped up on its back, its hide isremoved from lts legs and partially from its belly, and the lower halfof each of its four legs is cut off. It is in this condition that thebody is delivered to my improved cattle lander, as shown in Fig. 4, andis then ready to have the hooks of the carriers at tached to its gambs.

Each carrier or trolley 10 comprises a bar 11 bent over at its top endto form supports for the two ends of a pivot pin 12 upon which thecarrier or trolley wheel 13 is rotatably mounted. Wheel 13 has on itsopposite edges flanges 14 which are intended to engage the two sides ofthe track upon which the wheel travels. At its lower end bar 11 is bentlaterally to form the supporting offset portion 15 to which is fastenedan eye-bolt 16 which sustains a sharp pointed hook 17 adapted to-bethrust through the gamb of the animal.

On the bottom end of a hoisting and lowering chain or cable 18 issecured a spreader 19 equipped at each of its ends with a hooksupporting member 20 which has a flat laterally extended part 21 adaptedto extend beneath the loop or bent-over part of the upper end of bar 11of one of the carriers above its wheel 13. The offset portion or seat 21has at its outer end an upstanding stop or lug 22 intended to co-actwith the front edge of bar 11 to prevent the carrier from being releasedfrom the hook 20 as long as the latter supports the carrier. Each hook20 has a de pending tail piece 23 designed to fit in the groove or spaceof the carrier wheel between its flanges to maintain the parts 21 and 22in proper position in connection with the car' rier. In other words, theengagement of tail piece 23 with the groove of its carrier wheelprevents the parts from twisting around or becoming locked together.

The upper end of chain 18 is secured to a drum 24 on which it is adaptedto be wound up and from which it may be paid out to raise or lower thespreader and attached parts. In order to furnish power to operate thisdrum I provide a power-driven shaft 25 suitably mounted in one or morebearings and having at one end a friction wheel 27 tomoperate with asimilar wheel 28 fastened to the drum. By manually-controlled mechanism,the drums friction wheel 28 may be thrown into or out of engagement withthe constantly rotating cooperating friction wheel 27, as desired. Toaccomplish this result, I mount bearing 26 of shaft 25 slidingly' on thepillar or support 26 and provide an expansion spring 26 between thebearing and a shoulder of the support tending to push the bearing so asto move friction pulley 27 away from its companion pulley 28 of drum 24.A. stop 26 limits the travel of the bearing. To move pulley 27 intooperative relation and frictional contact with pulley 28 I provide acord or rope 26 fastened at one end to an eye 26 on the bearing 26 andpassed over a grooved pulley or sheave 26 down to a position where itmay be grasped and pulled by the operator. By this means the rotation ofdrum 26 and the windingup of chain 28 is fully within the control of theoperator.

Suitably supported from overhead beams 29, by means of any convenientnumber of depending hangers 30, is a pair of tracks 31 and 32 slightlyinclined downwardly away from the portions adjacent to hoisting chain18, the latter being disposed between the tracks near one end, as isshown in Fig. 1. On the inner side of track 31, which is preferablyformed from an ordinary bar, is a narrower space bar 33, whose top edgeis some little distance below the top of track 31 so as not to interferewith the flange of the carrier wheel, and inside of this bar is anoffset guide bar 34 having an inwardly curved portion 35 diverging fromthe track and an offset part 36 parallel therewith, suitable bolts orrivets 37 fastening together the track, space bar 33, and guide bar 34.It should be noticed that the end of space bar 33 adjacent to the curvedportion 35 of guide its outer surface with a space bar 39 slightlythicker than the width of one of the flanges 14 of the carrier wheel. Ifdesired the end 38 of track 32 may be split, and'one portion bentupwardly to form a stop 40 so that the carrier cannot run off of thisend of the track under abnormal conditions.

Above track 32 at the point 41 [Fig 3] on beam 29 I pivot a kick-off bar42 slightly curved at its lower end 43 and provided with a lateralextension 44 to which is fastened an adjustable weight 45 designed tonormally maintain the depending bar 42 in the dotted position shown inFig. 3, the bar, however, being capable of movement to the full lineposition when actuated by an end of spreader 19.

Assuming that the creature has been delivered to the landing device inthe condition indicated in Fig. 4, an attendant secures carriers to itsgambs by means of the sharp pointed hooks 17, and then supporting hooks20 are attached to the carriers so that the upper bent-over portions ofbars 11 rest upon the seats 21 with the upstanding projections 22 infront of the edges of the bars. By actuating the controlling mechanismof drum 24, chain 18, spreader 19, its hooks, the carriers, and theanimals body is raised sufficiently to enable the workmen to almostcompletely skin it and to permit them to remove the internal organs andsplit the carcass almost completely in two by cleaving lengthwisethrough its backbone. By further hoisting the spreader which ispositioned to ascend between the tracks 31 and 32 by being maintainedsubstantiallyparallel thereto, as shown in Fig. 1, may be lifted abovethetracks, when, by a manual turning or swinging around of the animalsbody, the carriers are brought over the tracks and positioned so thattheir wheels are exactly above the tracks, bar 35 by engaging bar 11 ofone of the carriers operating to properly guide them to the positiondesired. Since the space bars 33 and 39 are of substantially the samewidth as the flanges all the wheels or treads of the wheels will bebrought exactly above the top edges of the tracks. It should beunderstood that when thus swung around the lugs 22 of hooks 2O face thedownwardly inclined tracks 31 and 32 whereby when. the chain 18 islowered the carriers engage the tracks and further descent of the chaindisengages hooks 20 from the carriers, the stops 22 moving away from thefront edges of the top bent portions of carrier bars 11 there beingsufficient clearance between the to part of bars 11 and the wheels-Immed1- ately upon the release of the carriers they roll down the trackscarrying the animals body with them.

It will be understood from an inspection of the drawings that thespreader 19 when we tended transversely to the tracks projects over themand could not be lowered without interfering with them. In order,therefore, to swing the spreader around to substantially the positionindicated in Fig. 1 to permit its descent, the kick-off device isprovided. When the spreader, carriers, and body are swung around toposition the carriers above the tracks, one end of the spreader strikesthe weighted kick-off bar 42 and moves it out of normal position to thefull line position shown in Fig. 3, and, immediately upon the release ofthe carriers from supporting hooks 20, the kick-off bar swings back tonormal position turning the spreader around so that it may be loweredwithout interfering with the tracks. Although the movement of kick-offlever 42 is not great, the momentum communicated to the spreader issufficient to carry it around enough to be free from interference withthe tracks when lowered.

Although this -invention has been described in connection with theslaughtering of animals it is obviously capable of use in other lines ofwork, and a single track only may be employed successfully if desired.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a track, acarrier adapted to be attached to and support a body to be transported,said carrier having a part ad apted to travel on said track, means toraise and lower said carrier and permitting said carrier to be swungaround, a guide to position the track-engaging portion of said carrierover said track as said carrier is swung around, whereby lowering ofsaid carrier lands it upon said track, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a track, acarrier adapted to be attached to and support a body to be transported,a wheel rotatably mounted on said carrier and adapted to roll on saidtrack, means to raise and lower said carrier and permitting said carrierto be swung around, a guide to position said wheel over said track assaid carrier is swung around, whereby lowering of said carrier lands itswheel upon said track, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a track, acarrier designed to be attached to and support a body to be transported,a wheel rotatably mounted on said carrier adapted to roll upon saidtrack, a supporting member adapted to be detachably connected to saidcarrier, said supporting member becoming detached from said carrier whenlowered relatively thereto, means to raise and lower said supportingmember and carrier and permit them to be swung around, a guide toposition said wheel over. said track as said supporting member andcarrier are raised above said track and swung around, whereby loweringof said supporting member and carrier frees the latter from the formerand lands its wheel upon the track, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of aninclined track, a carrier designed to be attached to and support a bodyto be transported, a wheel rotatably mounted on said carrier and adaptedto roll on said track, a hook to support said carrier and body, means toraise and lower said hook, carrier, and body and permit them to be swungaround, a guide to position said wheel over said track when swungaround, whereby upon lowering said hook, carrier, and body said wheelengages said track, said hook becomes automatically disengaged from saidcarrier, and the latter with the body travels down said inclined track,substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a track, acarrier adapted to travel on said track and support a body to betransported, a supporting means to sustain said carrier, said supportingmeans having a connection with said carrier which is automaticallydisengaged and moved out of the path of travel of the latter on thetrack when said supporting means is lowered relatively to the carrierafter the latter has engaged the track, and hoisting and lowering meansfor said supporting means, carrier, and body, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair oftracks, a pair of carriers adapted to travel one on each of said tracksand support one or more bodies, a spreader, a supporting means on eachend of said spreader, to'sustain one of said carriers and having adisengageable connection therewith which permits the carrier to be freedfrom said su porting means when the latter is lowered re atively to theformer, and hoisting and lowering means to raise said spreader,supporting means, carriers, and body or bodies and lower them to permitthe carriers to engage said tracks and disengage said supporting meansfrom said carriers whereby the latter are free to travel on said tracks,substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair oftracks, a pair of carriers adapted to travel one on each of said tracksand support one or more bodies to be transported, a spreader, asupporting means on each end of said spreader which extends beneath apart of one of said carriers to sustain the same and which has anupwardly projecting stop or lug adapted to extend in front of a part ofthe carrier, means to raise said spreader, supporting means, carriers,and body or bodies and lower them so that All said carriers rest uponsaid tracks and said stops or lugs when said supporting means arelowered permitting said carriers to travel on said tracks freeing themfrom said supporting means, said raising and lowering means permittingsaid spreader and carriers to be swung around, and a guide to positionsaid carriers over said tracks as said spreader and carriers are swungaround, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair oftracks, a pair of carriers adapted to transport a body or bodies, eachequipped with a flanged wheel to roll on one of said tracks, a spreader,a supporting means at each end of said spreader having a disengageableconnection with one of said carriers, said supporting means becomingdisengaged from said carriers when lowered relatively thereto, means toraise and lower said spreader, supporting means, carriers, and body orbodies, said raising and lowering means permitting said spreader andcarriers to be swung around, a guide to bring said carriers over saidtracks when raised above said tracks and swung around, and a space barbetween said guide and one oi said tracks to separate said guide andtrack sufficiently to accommodate one of the flanges of the wheel of thecarrier which rides on said track, whereby lowering of said spreader,supporting means, carrier, and body or bodies lands said carrier wheelson said tracks and releases said carriers from said supporting meanspermitting them to travel on said tracks, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofinclined tracks, a pair of carriers adapted to support a body or bodiesand to travel one on each of said tracks, each of said carriers beingequipped with a flanged wheel to roll upon one of said tracks with itsflanges on opposite sides of the track to maintain it thereon, aspreader, a hook on each end of said spreader to engage and support oneof said carriers, means to raise and lower said spreader, hooks,carriers, and body or bodies and permit them to be swung around, acurved guide associated with one of said tracks cooperating with one ofsaid carriers to guide the wheels of said carriers over said tracks whenswung around, and a space bar between said guide and its adjacent trackto separate said guide and track sufliciently to accommodate a flange ofthe wheel of the carrier destined to travel on said track, whereby uponraising said spreader, hooks, carriers, and body or bodies between saidtracks, swinging them around so that the wheels of said carriers will beguided over said tracks, and then lowering them, said hooks willautomatically disengage said carriers, the latter landing upon andtraveling down said inclined tracks supporting and carrying the body orbodies with them, sub stantially as described.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of arotatable drum, a chain adapted to be wound upon and unwound from saiddrum, a spreader attached to the free end of said chain, a hook securedto each of the two ends of said spreader, a tail piece depending fromeach of said hooks, a pair of carriers with which said hooks are adaptedto cooperate, each of said carriers having a grooved wheel and a hook toengage the gamb of an animal, a pair of inclined tracks, a guide adaptedto bring the grooved wheel of one of said carriers over one of saidtracks when the animal is raised by said drum and chain and swung aroundto permit the wheels of both carriers to engage said tracks when thechain, Spreaders, and carriers are lowered, said spreader hooksautomatically releasing said carriers when their wheels land on saidtracks, said tail pieces fitting into the grooves of said wheels andmaintaining said spreader hooks and carriers in proper relation, and akick-off comprising a weighted lever mounted adjacent to one of saidtracks and in such position that it will be shifted out of normalposition when said spreader and hooks are swung around to bring saidcarriers in position over said tracks, whereby when said spreader hooksare freed from said carriers said weighted lever will swing saidspreader and spreader hooks to a position whereby they may be lowered bysaid chain unwinding from said drum without striking said tracks,substantially as described.

ELBERT E. LAMB.

I/Vitnesses:

J. M. MAPEs, J. E. GILMORE.

